Coordinated resource allocation is expected to play a major role in improving the performance of densely deployed interference-limited networks, where coordination can offer significant advantages in mitigating wireless interference. Soft Frequency Reuse (SFR), in particular, is one enhanced frequency-reuse technique proposed for LTE-based systems. SFR provides both the flexibility of utilizing the available bandwidth, and the capability to reduce high inter-site interference levels associated with dense networks with aggressive frequency reuse.
Power-zone assignment is innately similar to the conventional scheduling, which has been well-studied in the literature of wireless networks. One of the most prominent solutions is the classical proportional fair scheduling solution, whose goal is to maximize the log of the long-term average rate. See for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/463,47, filed on 3 May 2012, by H. Dahrouj, W. Yu, T. Tang, and S. Beaudin, entitled “Interference Mitigation With Scheduling And Dynamic Power Spectrum Allocation For Wireless Networks”. Such as solution, however, is based on a pre-assigned association of hubs and Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs), and is performed on a per hub basis with no hub coordination. Such an approach does not guarantee an optimal solution to the problem, may depend on the ever-changing traffic of the wireless channel, and does not guarantee a one-to-one mapping constraint.
Thus, there is need for a method for scheduling resources in a backhaul network, e.g. for interference management, comprising power zone assignment, and in particular there is a need for practical methods using techniques with low complexity, fast convergence, and performance improvement as compared to conventional approaches.
The present invention seeks to mitigate one or more disadvantages of these known systems and methods, or at least provide an alternative.